Hospitality, Chef Jobs & Internships - Visa Consultant

Thursday, 16 March 2017

An employee’s job satisfaction is the result of a combination of factors
including financial remuneration, being part of a positive working
environment with productive working relationships and the opportunity to
grow and develop. It’s likely that if one or more of these factors is
disrupted for an extended period of time, then an employee will look to
change jobs.

How can you ensure employees are satisfied in their current role?

Provide a positive working environment

Research
reveals that employees spend 92,120 hours of their lives in the
workplace so it is crucial that companies optimise their working
conditions, so invest good technology that allows employees to complete
tasks. It’s also worth provide benefits such as discounted gym
memberships and flexible working. Tech giants are great role models when
it comes setting a good example of creating a positive working
environment, as they offer a number of benefits such as competitive
salaries. It’s important to create an open and honest working
environment where employees can discuss the positives and negatives.

Reward and recognition

It
goes without saying that financial rewards significantly impact job
satisfaction levels. Input a process to evaluate employee performance
and provide salary increases to top performers. Opportunities to earn
special incentives, such as bonuses, extra paid time off or vacations,
also bring excitement and higher job satisfaction to the workplace.
Employers can demonstrate recognition without offering a monetary reward
as personal recognition from a superior can be a powerful tool in
building morale and motivation.

Involve and increase employee engagement

Disengaged
staff can have a serious negative effect on productivity. More than one
in four professionals we surveyed said their company is not effective
in keeping workers motivated. To keep employees engaged, you should
share company information, define their expectation, be consistent and
set a good example from the top.

Employees
will be more satisfied with their current role if they have a clear
path marked out for career progression, according to new research by New
Chapter Consulting. Alongside this, offer new recruits the opportunity
to grow their skill set through new courses and educational
opportunities and openly discuss advancing skills with employees in
reviews and appraisals.

Evaluate and measure job satisfaction

Measuring
the satisfaction of customers in the workplace is common practice, but
how often do your measure employees’ satisfaction? The measurement of
staff experience should be taken more seriously in business as high
employee satisfaction drives loyalty, which encourages value, adding to
customer satisfaction which promotes customer loyalty, increases
investment and therefore top line profitability. In essence, job
satisfaction is the first element of the service profit chain and
companies must recognise this.

Tuesday, 7 March 2017

Every team needs a fearless leader to
help them grow and to push them to be the best that they can be. But
starting a business and leading a group of people require very different
skills. Being a leader in your company means everything from keeping
your employees happy, to making sure that everyone is doing their part,
to sometimes having to deal with difficult situations. Become an
effective business leader and inspire your team with these tops tips:

1) Have a clear vision

Your
job as a leader is to define the goals and vision for your company and
to communicate that vision with your team. Providing them with a clear
path to follow makes working together for a common goal all that much
easier. If you all have the same vision, you will all work hard to see
that vision come to fruition. Explain to them in detail how this vision
will not only benefit the company, but as a result how it will benefit
them. Transparency is key here.

2) Show you’re passionate

Show
you care and your employees will care too. Having a genuine passion for
the projects that you work on will not only get your employees
motivated, but your excitement will rub off on others. Show employees
that you appreciate their input, and show your enthusiasm. There’s
nothing worse than a boss who doesn’t care.

3) Walk the walk

Be
a role model for your employees by SHOWING rather than TELLING. The
best leaders lead by example. Want your employees to follow process?
Start by following it yourself. Your team will admire someone who works
by example and will likely emulate your behavior. Show the qualities
that you would like to see in your employees.

4) Make concrete plans

Companies need direction, without a
clear goal it’s difficult for anyone to get there. Make concrete plans
for the future and map out how your team can help you get there with
realistic timelines.

5) Remember that it’s not about you

Being
a leader is not about being in charge, looking the best or being right.
It’s about building up your team and motivating them to work to the
best of their ability for the sake of your company. Remember that you
are all on the same team and that you are playing a role in that team.

6) Stay positive

This
may be difficult when everything seems to be going wrong, but a
negative leader only spells disaster for the rest of the office. Showing
apathy or negativity will only lead your employees to feeling the same
way. By keeping positive about situations, you are reassuring your team
while keeping them motivated to push through. People are also naturally
attracted to positive attitudes.

7) Improve your communication skills

One
thing to remember is that communication is a two-way stream. While
being able to communicate your vision and goal is important, be sure to
also pick up on any queues that others may be giving off. Listen to your
employees when they have complaints, opinions or ideas and you will go
far. Strive to continuously improve your communication skills.

8) Admit your weaknesses

The
best leader isn’t someone who has all the answers, nor is it someone
who never makes mistakes. A good leader is someone who identifies his or
her weaknesses and utilises the team around them to learn and grow. Be
humble and don’t presume that your opinion is always the right opinion.
Trust others and watch your company blossom.

9) Keep on learning

The
professional world changes constantly. Never remain complacent. Keep
pushing yourself to improve and learn more about your industry to become
a better leader. Stay open to everyone’s ways of thinking. Someone may
have a better way of doing things than you do.

10) Think critically

Being
a critical thinker is key to being a good leader. While staying open to
everyone’s ideas helps your company to innovate and grow, being able to
spot a good idea from a bad one is even more important. Look at
projects critically, identify any potential problems that may lie ahead
and find a way around them. Ask as many questions as possible to ensure
that your idea is airtight.

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

It’s safe to say that you’re considering beginning a career in the hospitality industry. Provided that this is true, you can congratulate
yourself for making an extremely wise decision.

In spite
of the fact that it takes diligent work to get into this field and
succeed, there are is a considerable measure of incredible things that
accompany going into this industry. How about we take a gander at six
particular advantages to see precisely why a career in hospitality is so
attractive:

Amazing Opportunities

On
the chance that you love variety, you'll additionally cherish the way
that working in hospitality is never dull. Regardless of whether it's
another challenge or the chance to go to better & much greater
places, this kind of spice makes it simple to get up in the morning and
motivate for making the journey into work for the day.

Appreciation

There
are a lot of occupations that include for the most part, difficult
& thankless work. While society couldn't work without individuals
willing to carry out these jobs, that doesn't mean those people feel any
kind of appreciation on a regular basis.
The good thing about
hospitality is that you won't need to be placed in this kind of
position. Rather, patrons will remind you consistently of just how
thankful they are, for what you do for them. Knowing that you’ve just
made someone else’s day is a feeling that really never gets old!

Meritocracy

One
reason many individuals aren't interested in working in particular
professional workplaces is on account of them realising that the main
way they'll have the capacity to climb up, is by playing steady
political games. If you're the sort of individual who likes the nature
of your work to represent itself, you'll be exceptionally fond of how
the hospitality industry works.
People will see when you take
initiative and follow through. Those with a go-getter attitude will soon
find that the sky is the limit in terms of where your career could go.

Lots of Perks

Despite
the fact that this isn't the greatest driver of the vast majority's
bliss and fulfilment within their hospitality occupations. It's still
important.
As you may have guessed, being in a position that is
about guaranteeing other's satisfaction means that you will get the
chance to harvest a lot of advantages too.

Exercise Creativity

Artists
and authors aren't the only people who get the opportunity to
appreciate innovative & creative work. Since there are constantly
challenges & difficulties that you will encounter within
hospitality, you'll generally have the capacity to put both your
creative and critical thinking to great use.

Wednesday, 4 January 2017

Getting “Indefinite Leave to Remain” as an immigration status is a significant achievement for people wishing to stay in the UK. It is the permission to settle in the UK after you have been legally residing in the UK for a stipulated amount of time. Your right to apply for settlement will depend on your current immigration category.

You must meet all the criteria of the Immigration Rules at the time of making your application. Please note that the Immigration Rules are subjected to change. ILR applicants who want to settle in the UK are required to show that they have an adequate knowledge of the English language as well as living in the UK.

ILR is the right to live in the UK indefinitely, with no time restrictions or limits on business activity, employment or study.

An application for ILR (Indefinite leave to remain) must be submitted to the UK Border Agency prior to an applicant's permission expiring. We also have a number of fast track slots available to guide clients with the same day service for which an application fee is required.

Indefinite Leave to Remain is also one of the qualifying criteria that must be met if the person wants to become a British Citizen (naturalization). The visa criteria depends upon the application. The more common applications for ILR are:

- Employment (Tier1 General, Tier2, Work Permit)

- Self-Employment (HSMP, Tier1 General)

- Long Stay

- Marriage, Civil Partnership or Unmarried Partners.

- Ancestry - Some kind of Investment (Tier1 Investor)

- UK Business Activity (Tier1 Entrepreneur)

Indefinite Leave to Remain can also be considered on the basis of time spent in the UK in one of the following immigration categories:

While filling an application for any of the above categories, the applicant must meet all the stipulated criteria which may also include providing documents of employment activity in the UK during their stay.

ILR applicants are required to show that they do not have any convictions and are law abiding individuals. Applicants or dependants who fail to meet this criteria will most likely be rejected. A conviction becomes 'spent' after a specified rehabilitation period. This time depends on the conviction that is applicable and the duration of incarceration imposed by the authorities.

If you wish to apply for Indefinite Leave to Remain, it is advisable that you seek specialized professional advice beforehand to ensure that your case meets the necessary governmental criteria. An expert legal advisor with deep domain experience is best suited to guide you through the entire procedure.

For a consultation regarding Indefinite Leave to Remain and to correctly ascertain your eligibility for ILR please email: rubina@vira.co.uk

Thursday, 27 October 2016

“I’m already starting to gain great insights as to how the Hospitality industry works”

“Fantastic opportunities, lots of encouragement & superb guidance”

An internship helps tremendously in fast tracking your career growth. It
has a great deal to offer and reaping its benefits will bring you
substantially closer to perfecting your social and work related skills.
In a nutshell, this is what our J1 USA internship program offers
aspiring hoteliers.

Experiencing
a cross-border work ethic and environment is truly a unique experience.
It is not only about being in another country or meeting new people but
primarily focuses on what you learn, how you adapt to new cultures and
assimilate knowledge, new cuisines, new social customs, new languages
and last but not least, enhances your creativity. The USA internship
program is a once in a lifetime opportunity for talented students and
graduates to experience the best that the world of hospitality has to
offer!

Focusing on these
advantages, we encourage and support Hospitality institutions in India,
the UK & EU to participate in our J1 USA internship program.

Simple Steps to participate in our J1 USA program:

Valid for all hospitality institutions and participants in India, the UK & the EU.

The concerned institution or candidate requires to provide us with the following participant documents:

A comprehensive resume accompanied by a recent photograph of the candidate (in word format only)

Cover letter

Reference letters from previous employers (at least 2)

Degree or diploma certificates

Mark sheets

Passport pages (first and last)

Certificate
of proficiency in the English language (IELTS, TOEFL, SLEP, TOEIC etc.)
In the event a candidate does not have this certification, s/he will be
required to take a free English assessment test accessible on
www.testpodium.com and thereafter forward the results to Vira
International.

Once we
have received all the applications, an internal candidate evaluation is
conducted. Thereafter, details of suitable candidates are forward to our
partner hotels in the USA. After the short listing process is completed
we will notify the colleges and participants in order to coordinate
telephone or Skype interviews. Upon selection, we will share the offer
letter, formal job description and details of your remuneration package
as well as benefits information received from the future employer.

Thursday, 13 October 2016

The usual notion of a Chef is a cook with white hat and apron mainly
found inside a restaurant or in the hotel’s kitchen. It’s actually
right, but this person is a highly trained culinary professional when it
comes to menu planning, cooking, food preparation and presentation as
well as being in charge of the complete kitchen. These are just a few of
the basic responsibilities of being a chef. In reality, it is a broad
career path because in the long run once can shift from being a head
chef to a restaurant owner, a culinary administrator or educator and the
lists goes on and on.

Skills and Qualities to become a Chef

Being
a chef is not that easy. One must have the passion for cooking and a
love for food. Basically these are the dynamic duo in an individual’s
drive to becoming a successful chef. Aside from these traits, an
individual must also possess the following:

Excellent leadership and communication skills

Team Player

Multitasking capability

Creative and Imaginative

Superior standards when it comes to hygiene and cleanliness

Great organizational skills

Steps to becoming a Chef

Having
an educational degree is not always a prerequisite to becoming a chef.
Many a good chef have excelled by ‘learning by doing’. Simply
possessing a good standard education such as a good command of the
English language and basic Math skills are great building blocks in
pursuing a culinary career path. The following steps will guide you
accordingly:

Acquiring a kitchen job in the hotel or restaurant

Having
the basic know-how on how the kitchen in a restaurant or hotel works or
operates is really important to become a chef. In the beginning, this
may involve washing dishes, throwing garbage and basically doing the
‘dirty’ kitchen chores. However, what’s important is getting ample
experience by interacting with professional chefs in the kitchen,
because you will be able to learn new cooking methods and tricks of the
trade. Because the world of cuisine is continuously evolving and being
up to date is essential.

Obtaining a High School Diploma

Before
enrolling in a culinary school or even an apprenticeship, it is an
essential for you to have high school diploma. A fair comprehension of
the English language and basic Math will help you go along the way.

Getting a Formal Education at a Culinary School

There
are different program offers for one to achieve their dream or of being
a chef de cuisine. The course duration is between one and four years.
The certification can be an associate or bachelor’s degree or a diploma.
Though it’s not a necessity, it will definitely give you the edge in
your field especially if your aiming for a senior culinary position with
great responsibilities.

Gaining Valuable Experience

After
studying or completing a formal education at a culinary school, it is
necessary to put theory into practice. Training and working under a
qualified professional chef will surely hone your skills and knowledge.
This opportunity will also widen your professional network.

Certification

Obtaining
certification or proof of specialization isn’t really required,
although it’s always an advantage and provides fillip to career
advancement and better remuneration.

Different Culinary Chef Titles

Sous Chef is the head chef’s assistant in the kitchen

Chef de Partie is the chef who supervises a specific area of production

Executive
Chef/Head Chef/Chef de Cuisine is the individual who manages all the
kitchen activities related to the kitchen such as menu planning, food
quality, cost, presentation, kitchen inventory and managing culinary
staff.

Commis chef is also known as chef in training or
basically a trainee in the kitchen. The Commis works under the
supervision of a Chef de Partie, to learn each production area in the
kitchen.

All kitchens have a traditional Brigade
system. The Brigade also consists of Chef’s who specialize in a certain
production process or cuisine. A few titles are, Chef de Patisserie,
Chef de Garde Manger, Saucier, Chef de Poisson etc.

Work Opportunities

In
our ever changing, hectic world there is an increasing tendency towards
formal eating out as well as enjoying a relaxed meal at a Café or
Bistro. Recent studies have revealed that there is a huge lack of
skilled chefs in the UK. Once you are a qualified chef you can enjoy
working across a broad spectrum of hospitality establishments like
hotels, restaurants, cafés, wine bars as well as in education.

Remember if you love food and have the passion for cooking, pursue your dream of becoming a Chef!

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

Indefinite Leave to Remain status (ILR) also known as Permanent Residency
or (PR) is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold
the right to stay in the United Kingdom (UK), but who has been issued a
temporary visa with a time limit to reside and have the permission to
work or study with certain restrictions. Persons who have legally stayed
in the UK can apply for PR, once they have completed the qualifying
period. This status although termed Permanent Residency lapses if the
holder has stayed outside the United Kingdom for a continuous period of
more than two years.

Process
Categories
qualifying for UK PR, having stayed in the UK for a specific period of
time, usually 5 years, may apply for an ILR which entitles them to live
in UK as long as they wish and eventually even apply for naturalization.
The processing time and requirements for the ILR vary depending on the
visa class that an applicant has immiditly prior to their application.Visa Class
Below
is a table for the visa status/class with the corresponding required
length of stay in the United Kingdom as one of the requirements to
qualify for an ILR application.

Current Visa Status/ Class

Required Years of Stay

Marriage

5

Unmarried Partner

5

EEA Family Permit

5

Ancestry

5

Work Permit

5

HSMP (closed)

5

People establishing business

5

Investors

5

Writers, Composers, Artists

5

Legal stay on any basis

10

Illegal stay on any basis

14

Language and Awareness Requirements

Aside
from the visa class, in order to be eligible ILR applicants require
proficiency in the English language as well as have knowledge of living
in the United Kingdom. Applicants who are under 18 years of age or above
65 are exempted from this requirement.

Cost of Indefinite Leave to Remain Application

Effective the 6th
of April 2016, the application fees have been raised from £1500 to
£1875 per person. Dependents also pay the same fees. The premium
application fee (meaning there is an in-person appointment) has been
raised from £1900 to £2375.

Advantages of having an Indefinite Leave to Remain status

Being an ILR status holder, an individual enjoys the following advantages:

Acquisition
of British Citizenship not only for themselves but also for their
children, if applicable under certain conditions and requirements.

The
holder will also have the right to access public funds. Unlike those of
the Limited to Remain (LTR) visa in the United Kingdom, the wording” no
recourse to public funds” is not written in an ILR holders’ visa. As a
result they are able to claim job seekers allowances and other benefits
which are usually available only to British, EU and EEA citizens.

Have
the advantage of paying the same tuition fees as those of British, EU
and EEA citizens (also known as Home Student Status) whilst studying at
institutions of higher education in the UK, as opposed to paying
substantially higher tuition fees like International Students with a
LTR.

ILR citizens are UK residents and enjoy the right to vote and stand for election to a public office.

Conditions of Indefinite Leave to Remain

An
important reminder: Once an individual has been granted an ILR, ensure
that you do not spend 2 years or more outside the United Kingdom, as
this can lead to the ILR being revoked. In order to surmount this
challenge, migrants are eligible to apply for British Citizenship after 1
year as a permanent resident or after 1 year of being granted an ILR
status.